Paul Langlois, Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay set to offer the command during Sunday’s pre-race ceremonies
TORONTO (July 16, 2024) - The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto is excited to announce that members of the legendary Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip will serve as honorary grand marshals for Sunday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Exhibition Place. Paul Langlois, Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay will be on the starting grid as part of pre-race festivities and offer the command for drivers to start their engines.
The Tragically Hip are a critically acclaimed rock band that has been a fixture in Canadian music for over 30 years and are beloved by fans across the country and the world. They’ve won 17 Juno awards and sold more than 15 million albums worldwide.
“It’s such a thrill to be a part of this awesome tradition in Toronto,” said The Hip. “We’re grateful for the experience and we can’t wait to give the command and hear the engines roar!”
On Sunday (July 21) at 1:23 p.m. ET, Langlois, Baker, Sinclair and Fay will announce the most famous words in motorsports, "Drivers, start your engines!" for the 85-lap race on the 11-turn, 2.874 kilometre (1.786-mile) temporary street circuit constructed at Exhibition Place. In addition to their on site presence, a special livery on the No. 66 SiriusXM Honda driven by David Malukas will display SiriusXM’s The Tragically Hip Radio channel.
“Thank you to SiriusXM Canada and Meyer Shank Racing for collaborating with the Ontario Honda Dealers and the Toronto Indy to make this special appearance by these remarkable artists from The Tragically Hip possible,” said Jeff Atkinson, president of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto. “It’s an honour to have them join us for this great Toronto event. This is another memorable moment for our fans to witness Paul (Langlois), Rob (Baker), Gord (Sinclair) and Johnny (Fay) shout the command before the field of world-class IndyCar drivers roll off the grid to take the green flag.”
The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto is Round 12 of 17 in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season championship battle. Drivers expected on the starting grid include multi-time Toronto winners Scott Dixon, Will Power and Josef Newgarden, the back-to-back Indianapolis 500 champion, plus last year’s race winner Christian Lundgaard. The weekend schedule will also feature exciting sports car action from Sports Car Championship Canada and Radicals Cup, plus additional open-wheel competition from USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire and USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire.
All attendees are encouraged to use Toronto’s GO Lakeshore West Train to Exhibition Station for the easiest commute without the worry of traffic or parking at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto. For $85, GO Transit is offering a combo ticket which includes 2-Day General Admission and two daily round trip fares for convenient transportation to and from the event. Single-day combo options are also available at hondaindy.com/GO. Children 12 and under ride free on Go Transit.
For ticket pricing, hospitality options, schedule and additional festival information, visit hondaindy.com.
About Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto:
Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto is a world-class motorsports festival which takes place annually on a 2.874-kilometre (1.786-mile), 11-turn temporary circuit using the streets surrounding Exhibition Place near Lake Ontario in downtown Toronto. The event features many attractions, food trucks, interactive displays and activities, and supports local charities. Your Ontario Honda Dealers Present Free Fan Friday offers general admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association through a voluntary donation. To date, over $1 million has been raised for Make-A-Wish® Canada. As one of Ontario's largest annual sporting events, the first race held in 1986 was known as the Molson Indy, later became the Honda Indy Toronto and is now titled Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto. It has become a prestigious meeting place for some of the world’s fastest race car drivers including past NTT INDYCAR SERIES champions like Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Alex Palou and Will Power as well as Canadian racing greats Scott Goodyear, James Hinchcliffe, Greg Moore, Alex Tagliani, Paul Tracy, Jacques Villeneuve, Robert Wickens and more. Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto is owned and operated by Green Savoree Toronto, ULC, whose affiliates also promote three additional INDYCAR SERIES races: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding (March 8-10, 2024), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2025 Civic Hybrid (July 5-7, 2024) and BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland (Aug. 23-25, 2024).
For more information, visit hondaindy.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @IndyToronto or follow the event on X (formerly Twitter) @HondaIndy and Instagram @HondaIndy using #indyTO.
About SiriusXM Canada:
Sirius XM Canada Inc., operating as SiriusXM Canada, is the country’s leading audio entertainment company. SiriusXM creates and offers ad-free music; premier sports talk and live events; comedy; news; podcasts; and exclusive talk and entertainment. SiriusXM is available in vehicles from every major car company, as well as on smartphones and all connected devices on the SiriusXM app. For more information, visit siriusxm.ca.
Join SiriusXM Canada on Facebook, on X (formerly Twitter), on Instagram and on YouTube.
SiriusXM radios and accessories are available from retailers nationwide and online at SiriusXM. In addition, SiriusXM Music for Business provides ad-free music to a variety of businesses. SiriusXM is also a leading provider of connected vehicles services, giving customers access to a suite of safety, security, and convenience services including automatic crash notification, stolen vehicle recovery assistance, enhanced roadside assistance and turn-by-turn navigation.
SiriusXM Canada has been designated one of Canada's Best Managed Companies 15 years in a row and is currently a Platinum Club Member.
